Abrasive article.



UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS W. HIGGINS, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A$SIGNOR U0 THE CAR-BORUNDUM COMPANY, .OF NIAGARA FALL3, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF PENN-SYLVANIA.

ABRASIVE ARTICLE.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS W. Hieoms, of Niagara Falls, Niagara county,New York, have invented a new and useful Abrasive Article, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to themanufacture of abrasive bodies or articles,of the type wherein abrasive material is combined with a vitrifiedbinder. Heretofore the materials commonly used for the binder, such asfeldspars, quartz, clays, &c., have con tained as lluxing ingredientsthe oxids of metallic elements. The mixtures have been so made andproportioned with regard to the flux content, such as oxids of iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium, that a certain degree ofvitrification will be obtained at the kiln temperature.

My invention is designed to give a stronger binding action, and a strongand durable article; and it is based upon my discovery that a fluxingsubstance containing fluorin will give greatly improved results in thebinder. The fluorin will ordinarily be used in the form of a fluorid orfluorids in the mixture. The amount of fluorid which is desirable willvary with the use to which the abrasive article is intended, with theabrasive used, &c.; but for general purposes the following proportionsmay be taken :-granular abrasive, 76.00 per cent; pulverized quartz,12.25 per cent; kaolin, 8.25 per cent.;'calcium iiuorid, 1.00 per cent.;sodium-aluminum fluorid, 2.50 per cent.

In making the article, I preferably pulverize the materials of thebinder, mix them with the abrasive material in a granular or powderedcondition, and then moisten the mixture to about the consistency ofmolding sand. The mixture may then be molded into the desired shape andfired in a potters kiln. The temperature may be raised to any desirabledegree, but preferably about 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit.

The use of the fluorin compound or salt in the binder is especiallyvaluable in making abrasive articles of carborundum.

Where the ordinary ceramic binder is used,

in which the fluxes are basic oxids, I believe Specification of LettersPatent. Application filed February 28, 1907. Serial No. 359,934.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

that the chemical union between the binder components is notsufficiently strong to prevent a reaction occurring at the kilntemperature, between the abrasive material and one or more of the bindermaterials, if the abrasive is of a character having a tendency to reactthereon. This has a tendency to occur during the firing process inmaking carborundum articles, thus deteriorating the bond. I believe thatthe beneficial action of the iluorids or fluorin compounds replacing thebasic oxids or ordinary fluxes, in whole or in part, is due to the factthat a binder is produced in which the chemical affinit of its elementsis stronger than the atlinities between the binder materials and thecarborundum, at any temperature reached during firing. My invention,however, is not limited to this theory of action, but is based u on theimproved results in the article obtamed by the use of the fluorincompounds.

Many changes may be made in the abrasive material emplo ed, theparticular composition of the bim er, 620., without departing from myinvention, since I consider myself the tirst to employ a binder havingfluorin as one of its constituents, for making abrasive articles.

The invention may also be applied to the manufacture of any ceramic bodyof refractory material, whether the refractory material is an abrasiveor not, though it is particularly designed for abrasive substances.

I claim 1. A carborundum article composed of carborundum and a vitrifiedbinder, one of the constituents of said binder being fluorin.

2. An abrasive article composed of abrasive 'material and a vitrifiedbinder, one of the constituents of said binder being an alumino-silicatecontaining fluorin.

3. An abrasive article com osed of abrasive material and a vitrifiedinder, one of the constituents of said binder being an al kalinealumino-silicate containing fluorin.

4. An abrasive article com osed of abrasive material and a vitrifiedinder, one of the constituents of said binder being an alkaline earthalumino-silicate containing: fluorm.

abrasive article composed of abrasive mate- 1 11 figstimony whereof, Ihave hereunto set my hand.

5. As a, new article of manufacture, an FR AN 018 W HIGGINS 5 rial and avitrified binderformed from (L 1 Witnesses:

. mixture of ferrous kaolin, calcium fluorid and sodlum alummum fluomd.

J. TON ASHMEAD HM,-

